A look at Traffic

A look at Traffic

Like most internet business models, affiliate programs and their promoters rely on internet traffic to their websites to survive, grow and prosper. It is, quite literally, our lifeblood. There are, of course, good and bad traffic, and everything else in between. The challenge is always to get the best-quality traffic as possible, while paying as little as humanly possible for it.

In effect, what you want is to drive a Ferrari, but make the monthly payments of a bottom-of-the-line Nissan for the privilege. It is possible to do so, but it takes hard work and dedication.

But what are the factors associated with getting good traffic to your site, and more importantly, getting it to convert and buy? In some industries, traffic sharing and exchanges are still viable (and sometimes the norm), but in the niches in which we work, thorough research and the quality traffic that comes with it are more likely to generate the profits that will not only allow you to survive, but indeed to thrive.

Good website design – Having a clean, well-designed website with unambiguous and clear ‘calls to action’ is a must. Remember to always include means of contact, even if it’s only an online form. The odds are good that nobody will use it, but if it’s nowhere to be found, it will shine by its absence!

Quality On-Page SEO – This could – and will – be an article all by itself. Basically, you need to ensure that search engines clearly recognize your site and its purpose. The judicious use of H1 tags, keywords, image alternate text, titles, as well as comprehensive internal linking are part and parcel of good on-page SEO. This is even more important in a post-Google Panda and Penguin world.

Links to your Site – This may be the most important factor to consider if you want to rank for competitive keywords, but it is a double-edged sword! Gone are the days when any old link would do. Concentrate your efforts on links from highly relevant website, ideally with a high PR. You can’t go wrong with that.

Effective Keyword Research – This is the cornerstone of success. All things being equal, keyword research can make or break you! Ranking for just ONE profitable keyword can make you a LOT of money, especially if you deal with a high-payout program like Cash Associate. Adversely, ranking for a host of useless ‘tourist’ keywords will consume your time, bandwidth and resources with nary a sale in sight!